Joseph

Not sure what he is singing about but Paul Simon’s lyrics in Call Me Al declare: “I want a photo-opportunity. I want a shot at redemption. Don’t want to wind up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard.” Can’t tell you when someone will take your picture or how to avoid the fate of a dead ‘toon, but a “shot at redemption?” That is more than possible.

In Joseph’s story so far, we see a man that has had his ups and downs… who is now on a roll. He has always been a source of blessing to those around him, and now he is a blessing to the whole world. He is in charge of a massive food bank with the desperate from all the surrounding nations at his door.

A few years ago I was leading a Bible study on Joseph and we came to this morning’s passage. One of the Bible study participants asked an interesting question: After Joseph became Second in Command of Egypt… why didn’t he go seek out his family in the land of Canaan. Why indeed? I didn’t have an adequate answer… I had never thought about it I guess. One would expect that Joseph would have at least paid a call on them… to promote reconciliation or to enact revenge. And yet at least 7 or 8 years pass without even a postcard sent back to the family… why?

After looking into it, I think we are provided a clue to the answer during the years of Joseph’s prosperity.

Genesis 41:50-52 – Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. [51] Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” [52] The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”

Two sons were born to Joseph and as he called them to supper it reminded him of two things: Forget the Past…. Focus on the Prosperous Present. Excellent Strategy… only one problem… it was doomed to failure.

Avoiding the Past Doesn’t Keep It From Knocking On Your Door.

Jacob hears that there is grain in Egypt and sends his sons to buy some… “before [they] all starve to death.” And so they went. Now that morning Joseph got up to get ready for work and as he headed out he might have caught sight of his first born and said: “Good Morning my son that reminds me to forget my past and the treacherous brothers I grew up with. Have a great day at school. Love ya, bye.”

Was he ever in for a surprise at the Job site. There are his brothers, that he has spent years trying to forget… kneeling before him. Verse six says: “They bowed low before him, with their faces to the ground.”

Now Joseph recognized them instantly, but pretends to be a stranger. This day was the day that God had appointed to Joseph to begin to deal with his past.

I’m not sure when that day will come for some of you. It has to be God’s timing. But usually the past eventually comes knocking. How you deal with it could change your life.

Avoiding the Past Can Keep You From the Blessings of Confession and Guilt.

Genesis 42:21-24 – They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.” [22] Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” [23] They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. [24] He turned away from them and began to weep, …

Two groups both need the blessings that dealing with the past can bring.

For the brothers the occasion spawns a confession of their sins of almost a decade ago. Notice how fresh the event was in their minds: Their ears still ring with the sounds of Joseph’s bleeding. Reuben says: I told you not to SIN against the boy.

Rueben calls it what it is… not a misunderstanding… or a business opportunity they couldn’t pass up… or a punishment that Joseph had coming… it was a sin against him. Joseph tells his brothers that he thinks they are spies. He tells them to bring back their younger brother to prove they were who they said they were. He keeps Simeon in prison for insurance that they will do just that. Joseph is testing his brothers repentance here in a very hard way.

But while Joseph’s brothers needed to confess, Joseph, himself, needed to grieve. Did you catch that? As the brothers bring up that dark day… that day that had filled Joseph’s nights with terror… Joseph’s eyes began to fill up with tears. He’s reliving the moment… And he’s coming to grips with his loss.

3. Another reason to resist avoiding the past is that it can keep you at odds with God.

Genesis 42:27-28 – At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack. [28] “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.” Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

This is an unusual thing.

Say you just paid someone for cleaning your gutters with your last $50. An hour later you look in your wallet and your $50 is back. Now you KNOW you paid the worker. You mentally can see the $50 leaving your hand and entering his. So how would you interpret this new $50. “Hallelujah! It’s a miracle. Get the kids we’re going to Long Horn’s.”

That should have been the reaction of the brothers, but it wasn’t. Why?

Quick: Draw a mental picture of God.

What do you see in your mind’s eye? A Mean Overbearing Ogre or a Happy Loving Father? Now I’m not asking you what your theology teaches you He is… or even what you believe Him to be… what does your heart feel about Him? Guilt has twisted the brother’s view of their God.

Papa Jacob isn’t much better. When the brothers return home and tell him what has happened he declares: “Everything is against me!”

What is your heart’s cry today? Guess what? With God you have a shot at redemption. “If God is for us, who could be against us!” (Romans 8:31) God could be bringing up your past today so that he can take those ugly things… that happened to you or that you have done to another… and turn them into a glorious future!

What do you do when the past comes calling? Know that you have a shot at redeeming that past. If you are in the place of Joseph’s brothers… you own up to it and repent of it. If you are in the position of Joseph… you face the pain and forgive.

God longs to heal your deepest wounds. Would that today be when your healing process begins.

Do you have a hurt from the past that God seems to be bring up again and again in your life? Isn’t it time to face it with Him?

In chapter 41 Joseph goes from slopping swill for the inmates in prison to crowds parting to make way for his chariot. Was there ever such a sudden elevation in all of history?

“So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’ Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck.” (Genesis 41:41-42)

What do you do when you are suddenly on top after being on the bottom for so long? Here is some Elevator Etiquette from the Life of Joseph:

1. Maintain Humility

I once took a ride on a coaster called The Volcano. It was a VERY quick assent. During that Volcano ride – it was hard to maintain my perspective… Am I up? Am I down? Rapid promotion can do that to you… you become disoriented. Imagine how Joseph must have felt!

Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it. ‘I cannot do it,’ Joseph relied to Pharaoh, ‘but God will give Pharaoh the answer He desires.'” (Genesis 41:15-16)

Joseph exuded confidence that the God who was with him in prison would also be with him on this “all important job interview!” He didn’t need to wring his hands in worry… or fear that he would say the wrong thing… He could be confident… because his confidence wasn’t in himself

2. Tell the Bad With the Good.

There was an old radio commercial I remember where a CEO shouted: “I don’t want any YES MEN in my organization.” To which his staff responded: “YES SIR!” Most organizations are actually FULL of “yes men”… parroting back what their bosses desire to hear. If you begin to reach the top you will get this feeling that you don’t want to leave your perch. Maybe you’ll just down play the bad news and feast on the good for a while! Not so with Joseph. Look at his interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream:

The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. [27] The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:26-27)

Do shortcut your integrity… even if what you have to say might not be pleasant to some ears. As author Dr. Henry Cloud is fond of saying: “Reality is your friend.”

3. Be a Good Steward

It is helpful to remember this on your elevator ride to the top: Wealth isn’t yours to squander; and you may need some of that wealth tomorrow. Joseph lived by these principles.

Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. During the seven years of abundance the land produced plentifully. Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities. In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure. (Genesis 41:46-49)

Joseph’s plan to store up in the prosperous years so that they might survive the lean ones… is still a good one. Now matter how golden we imagine our futures… we can only see so far. Being prepared is a Biblically sound idea!

4. Share the Wealth

With all the perks that came with Joseph’s new job, he never forgot that first and foremost in his job description was to be a blessing to the world.

“When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe throughout Egypt. And all the countries came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe in all the world.” (Genesis 41:56-57)

We can either treat our homes as a treasure chest… or a store house. When we treat them as a treasure chest… we invest time and energy protecting our stuff… and life can become a hassle. When we treat them as a store house… we realize that God can bless others through the “stuff” we are temporarily holding for him… and life becomes a blessing.

I was so moved when I heard the following story in Skip Heitzig’s book, Jesus Up Close. He told the story about a man named Josh who was sailing down a Chicago neighborhood street in his two-month-old, 12-cylinder Jaguar XKE when a brick sailed through the air and struck its shiny, black passenger door. Brakes slammed, gears ground into reverse, and tires spun the Jaguar back to the spot from which the missile had been launched. The young executive jumped out, grabbed the kid, and pushed him against a fender. “That’s my new Jag,” he shouted. “That brick you threw is gonna cost you lots of money!” “I’m sorry, mister! No one would stop! I didn’t know what else to do,” the youngster sobbed, pointing. “It’s my brother. He rolled off the curb, fell out of his wheelchair, and is hurt. He’s too heavy for me. Please, help me lift him back.” Josh’s head of steam evaporated. Straining, he lifted the boy’s brother into the wheelchair, wiped the scrapes and cuts with his handkerchief, and checked to see that there was no serious injury. He then watched the younger brother push the wheelchair down the sidewalk toward their home. Josh never did fix his door. He kept the dent to remind himself not to go through life so fast that someone would have to throw a brick to get his attention.” (Skip Heitzig)

Okay… so the elevator doors are opening. Let me hold the door for you. “Going Up?” I ask. Somewhat embarrassed you respond: “Yes…” Great! But just remember… don’t let your success destroy your humble confidence… or let it tear at your desire to speak up for the truth… or let it stop your from displaying good money management skills… or… above all this… I say this to you as you enter the threshold… don’t let it keep you from blessing others!

If there is something I have learned from my time on this earth is that sorrow can be a lonely time. No matter how supportive others can be… one can still feel all alone. Forgotten. Like a leaf in a stream at flood stage. You have lost connection from the tree and are now swirling out of control… will you ever be found?

I wonder what state Joseph was in when he entered jail for a crime he did not commit? Well Joseph did what he always did… made the best of the situation and was soon a trusted helper for the warden. But as the story continues we learn that God is not through with Joseph.

Some time later, the cup bearer and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their master, the king of Egypt. [2] Pharaoh was angry with his two officials, the chief cup bearer and the chief baker, [3] and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the same prison where Joseph was confined. [4] The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he attended them. (1-4a)

One day Joseph saw these two men and they were both disturbed. “Why are your faces so sad today?” They explained that they had both had dreams and didn’t know what to make of them. I love Joseph’s optimism. “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

The two recount their dreams which are quite similar. The chief cup bearer tells his dream: “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, [10] and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. [11] Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.” (9-11)

Joseph tells him that the three branches meant three days… and that within three days he would be restored to his position and would again place a chalice of wine into the Pharaoh’s hand. Joseph bids that the cup bearer remember him to Pharaoh when he is restored to office.

The chief baker likes what he has heard and offers his dream up to Joseph: “On my head were three baskets of bread. [17] In the top basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.”(16-17)

Joseph, looking a bit more somber this time, states truthfully: In three days, Pharaoh will have you executed. And so it goes:

“Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: [21] He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand, [22] but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation.” (20-22)

Now after the cupbearer is restored a travesty occurs. He NEGLECTED TO DO ANYTHING ALL ABOUT JOSEPH’S PLIGHT!

Genesis 40:23 reads: “The chief cup bearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” I wondered how many nights Joseph lay awake wondering when his friend would come to his rescue. 41:1 tells the sad truth: “…two full years…”

Joseph was forgotten for two more years. It was one thing to have no hope, but to see hope rise and fall had to have ripped at his heart. He was at the rock bottom of his faith. The chief question at rock bottom is this: Has God Forsaken Me?

Have you ever been searching for a road out in the country that even Google Maps can’t help you with? Eventually you throw up you hands and say: “Where is this God Forsaken place?” Well that is not a Biblical statement at all! There is no place on this earth that is “GOD FORSAKEN!”

Isaiah 40:27-29 reads: “Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? [28] Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. [29] He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

The Bible teaches us that there is no place we can go or be sent that escapes his notice.

Matthew 10:29, 31 says: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. [31] So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Just as he sees every bird that falls from the sky. He can see where you have landed. And you are still worth everything to Him. He knows your situation. He feels the pain in your heart. And he sees every tear you’ve cried.

Psalm 56:8 (The Living Bible) reads: “You have collected all my tears and preserved them in your bottle! You have recorded every one in your book.”

Pastor Bill Hybels remarked on this verse: “In Middle Eastern culture when every a soldier would go off to war he would buy a “tear vial” – a little tear bottle—he would give it to his wife or his mother. She would promise, “Your absence will make me so sad, I will cry every night. And when I do, I’ll collect those tears in this bottle. When you come back, you’ll see my tears and you’ll know how precious you are to me.”

Psalm 56:8 says that God will one day be able to show us our “tear vials.” For he has witnesses each one of them. He will say to us: “Didn’t miss a one. Not a single one.”

Joseph might have thought near the end of that second year that his story was over. But it was actually just ready to begin.

Feeling forgotten? Know that God sees every single tear… and that your story isn’t over until HE says its over. Hang on for one day more.

A while back I was working on a blog regarding Paul’s visit to the city of Corinth. I was searching for a graphic to go along with it and was stumped as what to use. I got to thinking about how much ancient Corinth was like modern day Las Vegas. Maybe a Las Vegas skyline might work! But I couldn’t find one that struck me as suitable. Then I had another thought: “I know! I’ll get a graphic of one of those XXX signs they hang out in front of some of their clubs.” So I typed “XXX” into Google Images. Okay… I did not think that one through. I won’t tell you what came up but I could not X out of that screen fast enough!

I’m sure it has happened to you. You typed something innocent into a search engine and got an eyeful of something you wished you had never seen. It is becoming increasingly hard not to stumble into porn. We talk a lot about avoiding sexually charged material and situations… but what happens when you didn’t see it coming? What happens when an innocent conversation turns to flirtation? What happens when you are at a friend’s house and the movie they suggested takes a raunchy turn? What do you do then?

I’m telling you right now what to do. But its something that you can’t do in the heat of the moment. You must do it NOW… and not wait until THEN.

Here it is: “Be Prepared!”

Stop pretending that this world will never be able to seduce someone as spiritually adept as you. If you are still breathing… lust will continue to be one of the 7 deadlies Satan will use in his attempt to bring you down.

Take Joseph. He was a young attractive, junior executive for Potiphar enterprises. He is quietly and effectively minding his boss’s business when he becomes the target of the CEO’s wife! “Lie with me.” She commanded.

Yet Joseph was able to escape her clutches. How? Because he was prepared for it! Here is was his plan.

1. He knew his character ahead of time! Joseph knew who he was as a person. He was a faithful person.

He was faithful to Potiphar. He tells the wife: “There is no one greater in this house than I, and [Potiphar] has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil…?” (v. 9) The consequences of sexual sin (sex outside of marriage, adultery or porn) affect more than just oneself. They affect the lives of loved ones with cuts too deep to ever heal properly. And Joseph’s faithfulness to his master had been a witness to Potiphar. Why would he chuck all of the capital he had accumulated for a quick fling?

Also, Joseph was also faithful to his God. I mean, Joseph could have given in and Potiphar might have never found out! (Unlikely… yet possible). But to Joseph that didn’t matter. God would have known. That is why Joseph exclaims: “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” Not against Potipher… Against God!

Are you a faithful person… to others and to God? Be faithful with your sexuality as well.

2. He Knew This Kind of Battle was a Daily One. Note that Joseph was propositioned by Mrs. Potiphar… daily. (v. 10) He could not avoid her frequent advances. He was a slave after all. It wasn’t like he could quit his job!

It is the same for you. You cannot 100% avoid the bombardment of sexual images in our culture today. When you get up in the morning you better be prepared to fight!

I particularly want to reach out to those who are married. Never EVER let your guard down. I read years ago the words of a famous Christian author that had given into an affair. The year before it happened he had been asked by a friend where he thought Satan could attack him. Was he weak in any area? He wasn’t sure how to answer, but he told his friend that he knew for sure where Satan couldn’t attack him… in his marriage. He had a strong one.

This author went on to warn his readers: “Satan will often attack your strong side, because it is the least defended.”

3. Finally… He Knew When to Run!

“Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside. She caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.” (v. 11- 12)

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians and told them to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18) I wonder if it was Joseph’s story that was in the back of his mind. Likewise Paul wrote to Timothy and told him to “flee youthful lusts.” (2 Tim. 2:22) He, like Joseph, knew that when all else fails… you better have an exit strategy!

Perhaps your exit strategy might be to pull out a photo of your family and show it to the person who is flirting with you. Perhaps it is to go “unplugged” for a while… staying out of places where porn can be accessed. Work out this plan with God and then follow it. Memorize it like the fire escape plan on the wall where you work. It could save your life.

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Know this… He who made you is working to complete you one day in Christ Jesus. If you have fallen it is not too late to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and then continue on developing His character in your life.

Peter Marshall… chaplain to the US Senate in the 40’s once preached about the faithfulness of God and made the following statement:

No one yet has ever set out to test God’s promises fairly, thoroughly, and humbly, and had to report that God’s promises don’t work. On the contrary, given a fair opportunity, God always surprises and overwhelms those who truly seek, with His bounty and His power.

Marshall’s words cannot be illustrated with a clearer example than the biography in which we are about recount. The story of Joseph is a story for the ages. Whether remembered as a child on a flannel graph board in Sunday School… or as an adult while enjoying the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat. His story touches and fascinates us. He is a man that was tested to the absolute max… and exercising faithfulness he caught a glimpse of the absolute faithfulness of God.

Now Joseph’s story is often described as a “rags to riches” story… it is actually a “riches to rags to riches” story. Although things go south for him rather quickly in this chapter… his story begins with him in a relatively good place. He was a son of a prosperous man… and also had the good fortune of the father’s favorite. In fact father Jacob gives Joseph a special coat. The NIV calls it a “richly ornamented robe…” The NASB calls it “a varicolored tunic.” We remember its as being called the “coat of many colors.” What we might not know is that this coat meant that Joseph was in a privileged class. The fact that it had long sleeves would make him exempt from participating in menial farming tasks. This did not sit well with his brothers.

Beyond that, he appears to have the favor of his heavenly Father. God spoke to him in dreams. And in those dreams images of grain sheaves and dazzling stars bowing in honor to him, made it clear to Joseph that his life would matter. Even his father and brothers would one day honor him.

As we look at Joseph’s life over these next few weeks I challenge you to look at what God has caused you to dream about. What is in your heart and head that is to wonderful to tell? What has God called you to?

Let me give you a warning, however. There are forces at work that would prefer you stop your dreaming and take your place in the throngs of faithless humanity. Joseph’s brothers jeered: “Bow down to you, you little pipsqueak? Not in this lifetime!” “Let’s get rid of this dreamer and see what becomes of his dreams!” By the end of this chapter they at first desire to kill him… and then seek to prophet from his demise by selling him instead.

If YOU dare to dream you will not often be met with enthusiasm. More often you will face condescension, laughter, a dose of cold water or even animosity.

And yet, God calls you to dream His dreams…in full technicolor. And He wants to paint with your life a portrait of His love and His faithfulness. But how does a disciple cooperate with the dream giver? How does one learn to dream God-sized dreams?

Joseph in the next few weeks will learn some important lessons that will move him towards his dreams:

He will learn the lessons that only comes through hardship.

He will learn to trust when all evidence of hope is gone.

He will learn to forgive when he would rather forget.

He will learn to lead men and yet stay humble to his roots.

But these lessons will take time. And it is his attitude along the way that make all the difference and help him reach his goal. Perseverance will not be something optional for his path to his dream.

James S. Hewett shared the following story in his book Illustrations Unlimited: “Years ago a young black child was growing up in Cleveland, in a home which he later described as “materially poor but spiritually rich.”

One day a famous athlete, Charlie Paddock, came to his school to speak to the students. At the time Paddock was considered “the fastest human being alive.” He told the children, “Listen! What do you want to be? You name it and then believe that God will help you be it.” That little boy decided that he too wanted to be the fastest human being on earth. The boy went to his track coach and told him of his new dream. His coach told him, “It’s great to have a dream, but to attain your dream you must build a ladder to it. Here is the ladder to our dreams. The first rung is determination! And the second rung is dedication. The third rung is discipline! And the fourth rung is attitude!

The result of all that motivation is that he went on to win four gold medals in the 1936 Olympic and World records for the 200 meter. His broad jump record lasted for twenty-four years. His name? Jesse Owens. (Illustrations Unlimited, pp. 26-27.)

Dream the dreams that God has for you! Others may try to silence them… but He who has called you will not disappoint.